Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is introducing legislation to impose federal restrictions on AI-powered license plate readers, citing concerns over the collection, storage, and potential misuse of Americans’ location data.

The Stop Flock Abuse Act would establish new rules for automated license plate reader systems, particularly those operated by Flock Safety, one of the leading providers of AI-enabled camera networks used by law enforcement agencies across the country.

Hawley announced the legislation Wednesday after chairing a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing examining the technology. He argued that the growing network of cameras is creating detailed digital records of Americans’ movements even when they have not been accused of a crime.

“AI-powered cameras produced by Flock and its competitors are tracking and creating digital footprints of everyday Americans,” Hawley said. “Law-abiding Americans should not be treated like criminals.”

The bill would prohibit law enforcement agencies from selling or sharing vehicle location data with third parties and would establish restrictions on how the information could be accessed. Searches of the databases would require written authorization and would have to be logged with the officer’s name, the reason for the search, supervisory approval, and the information accessed.

Supervisors would also be required to regularly review search records for potential abuse, including repeated searches involving the same person or questionable justifications.

The legislation would require collected data to be encrypted and stored within the United States. Local governments would generally have to permanently delete driver information after 10 days, with limited exceptions for active criminal investigations.

The bill would also prohibit license plate reader systems from incorporating hardware or software from foreign adversaries and would bar the networks from using facial recognition technology.

Flock Safety’s CEO declined to testify at Hawley’s Senate hearing but submitted a written response agreeing that Congress should establish a federal regulatory framework for the technology. The company has also announced additional safeguards following scrutiny over how its systems and data have been used.

The technology has faced increasing attention after cases involving alleged misuse of license plate databases by law enforcement. Lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns about privacy, data security and the potential for officers to improperly track individuals.

Hawley has been investigating Flock Safety and other surveillance technology companies for months, seeking information about how their systems collect, retain, and distribute Americans’ data. His latest legislation would establish federal requirements governing the technology rather than leaving safeguards primarily to individual companies or local agencies.